Good Information Articles

Travel Guidebooks Are Dead -- Long Live the Real Traveler

(PRWEB) June 19, 2008 -- "The travel guidebook is dying as the medium for travel research and trip planning. Denying this is denying the truth", says Ed Lester, founder of online travel publishing company So Much World (http://somuchworld.com) on Monday, pre-empting the launch of his latest travel website, www.travelshout.com. "People want video; they want to view things on their mobile phones; they want to upload and tag and comment and share; they want to print what they need and leave the rest; they want things to be personalized and relevant. People want more than guidebooks offer, and they want it for free", Lester continues.

Lester is quick to acknowledge the revolutionary step of Tony Wheeler starting Lonely Planet (http://www.lonelyplanet.com) in 1972, but points out that whilst travel, the world and people's demands have changed, travel guidebooks have essentially stayed the same for nearly two decades. "The guidebook is on the way out -- but what isn't diminishing is public demand for world class travel writing and editing, beautiful photography, and well-researched, reliable information. The big publishers don't seem ready to accept it yet, and many travel writers have accused me of trying to harm their industry, but that couldn't be further from the truth. I'm just reflecting a change that has already happened."

Travelshout.com (http://travelshout.com) is Lester's latest response to this change. A live chat application that can be installed on any site or blog, with Travelshout you can have a conversation in real time, across different sites. TravelShout allows people to share and access tips, ideas and information from amongst their peers, just like they would in real life, creating a big travel conversation across a network that has the potential to span the entire web.

"The future is in bringing together the whole of online travel, including small websites and blog owners who may not be 'professional' travel writers, but who are extremely passionate and knowledgeable in a range of areas. If each of these sites and blogs are chapters of one large online travel guide, we need a way to bring these chapters together", Lester continues noting that YouTube's success lies not in creating or controlling content, but in its ability to offer its users a technology platform that innovates by giving people a voice.

Speaking about how the major travel websites have made their mark online, Lester notes that it is the community of users and their contributions that underlie this success. Lonely Planet, he says, have made an admirable attempt at adapting their traditional offering to online, but their success in bridging the gap between print and web is due in a large part to their forums boards and other community aspects. Lester also notes that both TripAdvisor (http://www.tripadvisor.com) and Virtual Tourist (http://www.virtualtourist.com) couldn't exist without their massive online community of travelers and their willingness to share their stories and reviews.

Certainly, surveying the online landscape shows a significant shift to user generated content and social networks, hallmarks of what some commentators have dubbed "Web 2.0" . The future paradigm of publishing must reflect this change, argues Lester, and take into account a fundamental shift in the information flow back to users. He says that there can never be one online alternative to travel guidebooks, but rather acknowledges that the future will be in drawing together the proliferation of websites into a cohesive whole.

Travelshout, like its precursor Travelbookmarking.com (http://travelbookmarking.com), is a site that seeks to create this cohesion by harnessing social technologies and making them relevant to travel publishing. Speaking about the current landscape of travel publishing, Lester is quick to contrast his approach with that of mainstream travel sites. "The power has shifted away from those who turned travel into a commodity, back to the individual traveler and their story." Lester sums up by saying that So Much World's mission is to embrace and encourage, "those websites and blogs who embrace quality and conversation, and who understand that travel represents basic human needs -- to learn, to grow, to discover, to experience, and to share. They are the future of travel online."

# # #

Other Article Sites

findabook.com  moneycd.info  a-mortgage.info   about-lemon-laws.info  aboutstudentloans.info
all-about-publishing.info  auctions-articles.info  bestcollege-university.com  bestispconnection.com
biblefolder.com  blogger-website.com  books-used.info  brokers-guide.info  buywindows.info  cable-dsl.info
career-miner.com  carpel-tunnel.info  cashinaflash.info  cashloanreviews.info  casinobell.com  chat-house.info
clearmycredit.info  collegeloantips.info  crones.info  depression-articles.info   dirnic.net  dishguides.info
divers-below.com  expodog.info   financewizz.com  fire-insurance.info  getgood.info  handleit.net   it-idea.info
health-supplies.info  hosting-right.com  insidealert.com  insurance-facts.info  jobs-employment.info
justgood.info  lookgold.net   lowcost-travel.info  money-source.info  myhostzone.info  numisblog.com
peoplesearchfinder.info  pr-articles.info  realeas.com   refinancing-guides.info  spyware-remove.info
telelot.info  the-law.info   toppaid.info  travel-deals.info  travelcorrect.com  wedding-guide-site.com
your-blog.info  your-credit.info

MORE ARTICLES:

Cal-Bay International, Inc., Announces New Website Launch and Retains Leading Internet Marketing Firm to Provide Promotional and E-Commerce Services
Cal-Bay International, Inc. (OTC: CBAY) is pleased to announce the launch of the company's new website along with the retention of Evision Holdings Inc .to assist the company enhance its corporate image as it begins its precipitous turnaround.

10 Step-by-Step Business Startup Guide: Step 9
STEP 9: Establish a brand

Consumers Beware Of The Internet: Americas Watchdog Declares War on Counterfeit Drug & Counterfeit Cigarette Manufacturers and Their Web Sites
After a two year investigation into the murky world of on line pharmacies and Internet "cheap cigarettes", Americas Watchdog and its Global Piracy & Counterfeiting Consultants have a worldwide recommendation to all consumers. This can be summed up in three words: "Don't Do It". The investigation concluded that the "on line drugs and cigarettes could be lethal or you could get charged for something you never get". By doing business with a on line cigarette or drug "retailer", a consumer may have just given their credit information to the Russian Mafia or organized crime.

Fail Your Way To Small Business Marketing Success!
Are you willing to fail your way to great marketing Success?Success is a learning process. It's an ongoing process - a continual quest.

Getting A Home Equity Loan After Bankruptcy
Obtaining a home equity loan after a bankruptcy can seem particularly difficult. However, it is by no means impossible for someone who?s willing to take time to explore options offered from different lenders. Here are some things you should know about getting approved for a home equity loan after bankruptcy.

Preventive Marketing Offers Small-Mid Sized Business Owners An Ideal Way To Maximize Their Results
As the owner of a creative services boutique - I have realized that at least 9 out of 10 prospects/clients have suffered from one or all of the following (very detrimental) symptoms of trying to grow their businesses:Trouble defining their "BIG PICTURE"Little to no understanding of "evolution focus"Overwhelming feelings of "being stuck", "spinning wheels", "not knowing what to do next"Not enough information about options, alternatives and solutions to common strategiesNot enough knowledge or support to ask the right questions when researching opportunitiesChallenges in differentiating between "good advice" and "bad advice"Difficulty bouncing back from ill advised decisionsExhausting unnecessary dollar amounts for otherwise less expensive pr...

Network Marketing Internet Business Do's and Don'ts
Why did you start your own network marketing internet business? Most people immediately respond, for the money! However, this is not the real reason.

Is The Best Part-Time Business Right For You?
According to the publishers of Laundry Center MarketWatch and recent Coin Laundry Association statistics, self-service laundries represent one of the most over-looked and powerful investments available. Industry experts report that the average return on investment is a whopping yearly 20 to 30% and that investing in a neighborhood Laundry Center is one of the most recession resistant and stable investments one can make.

New Audio and Video Course Helps Small Businesses Profit from the Internet Multimedia Revolution
Audio Video Riches allows shopping web site owners to enrich their sites with easy-to-produce, high-quality audio-visual content.

Top internet marketing strategy which you cannot avoid
internet marketing is gaining importance as internet has started penetrating larger parts of the world and the time has come when you must pull up your socks if you would like to be early winners in the online business. Here are some of my successful internet marketing strategies which I learnt on the job and would like to share with you all.

Your Home Business - Saving Money & Cutting Costs
Running a home business is the ideal path for some entrepreneurs who just want to have more flexibility in their lives. But, in the initial stages money can be tight so how do you ensure that you have a lean, mean fighting machine?

24 Hours Security Need for Home and Offices
With the passage of time, there are many things that have changed. Change in attitude and thought there is also increase of crimes. Before the dwelling place of men was secured. After hectic scheduled home was the place where he can rest. Security of home and even the place of work nothing is secured. There is danger and threat to life always. Men are not secured in this technological world. More the world is progressing more there is progress in crime and criminal actions.

Basin Harbor Club "Ultimate Family Vacation" Makes Getting There Half the Fun
The Basin Harbor Club on Lake Champlain offers a family vacation experience reminiscent of summer camp in Vermont. From swimming and boating to a new junior staff program that invites teens to work as gardeners and boat captains, to ice cream socials and children's camps, the Ultimate Family Vacation package makes the most of Basin Harbor's comprehensive family offerings.

Air Travel Tip - How To Avoid And Deal With Airsickness
Air travel has come a long way since the Wright brother's first flight in 1903. Planes are now works of technological and engineering genius, screaming across the sky at 600 miles an hour while the passengers inside enjoy in-flight movies and complimentary beverage service. However, as advanced as air travel has become, there will always be one thing that plagues some air travelers regardless of the in-flight accommodations they have. That one thing is air travel sickness.